Replaceable heating unit for electrical apparatus



H. RRICE. REPLACEABLE' HEATING UNIT FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5| |917- l Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEETI MWA/f H. A. RICE.

v REPLACE/ABLE HEATING UNTT FOB ELECTRICAL APPARATUS;

.APPLTcA'TToN FILED JUNE 5, 1917.

uw f Il Il Il I Patented Oct; 21,' 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

f@ VH 5%@ 2% L92@ www H. A. RICE.

REPLACE/181.5 HEATING UNIT FORl ELECRicAL APPARAIUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5191?.

Patclnfcd ct. 31, 1919.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Ill.

iSTATES raTinir oiirioii.

HAROLD ALBERT RICE, F NEW YORK, N, Y., ASSIGNOR T0 RELDTOP LECTRIC COMPANY,

` INC., A CORPORATION 0F NEWYORK.

REPLACEABLE HEATING UNIT FOR ELECTRICAL APPARATUS.

I .Specicatioii of Letters Patent. IPatented Oct. 21', 1919. I

Application led Julie 5, 1917. Serial No. 172,890.

More particularly the invention relates to the construction and arrangement ofthe electrical heating unit or units in electrical apparatus 'and to the construction of the cooperating parts of such electrical apparatus whereby such unit or units are separable from such co'ofperating parts to permit the heating. unit or funi-ts to be readily removed for the purpose of repair or a new heating'- unit substituted for the old heating unit if seriously impaired, While not disarranging such coperating parts.

The invention ,is designed more particularly for use in electrical apparatus sueh as soldering irons, heating irons, chafing stoves, toasters, and the like, andhas as a principal object a construction obviating the necessity inherent in the construction of electrical apparatus heretofore proposed of forwarding the whole electrical apparatus by the user to the manufacturer, either directly or indirectly through the dealer, for

the purpose of repair or replacement of the heating unit. My ,invention is applicable in lmany forms and .I have indicated but a fevv such forms which I have found to be advantageous. The invention is capable of use in other types of electrical apparatus and the y abovcreference to particular types is.

merely for the purpose of citing specific instances of uses Where .the average user is not conversant With'the principles of electricity. My invention attains also advantages to the dealers in that it enables the dealerstohave .a stock of heating units y at hand' for sale and also. eXpedites the restoral of the electrical apparatus to ,the user. If desired, the electrical heating unit may be constructed in one or morecomrnon or universal sizes for-several diieient types of electrical apparatus, thereby simplifying the manufacture of the heating unit, the assembly vof the same in the several types of electrical a paratus, decreasing the necessary stockv `eld by the dealers, etc.

The invention is directed also to simplifying and improving the construction of such electricalapparatus in parts other than the electrical' heating units, as Will ap ear more fully hereinafter.

ther features and objects of the `inventionWill be `more fully understood from the following"l description andthe accompanying drawings, in Which- .i Figures l to 3 ande show a forni of my invention as applied to an electrical flatiron.; Fig. l being aA .longitudinal central section; Fig. ,2 a plan .of saine, Fig. 3 a

detail plan ofthe heating unit, and- .4 -a detail plan of a vpart of the heating Wire and supporting base.

l Figs. 5 and G show another form of the 75 invention as applied to an. electrical toaster,

the former being a side elevation andthe latter an end elevation;

Fig. 7 Vis a plan ,View of another heating unit shovvingmy `inventionnand Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively-a centralelevational section and a'top plan 'view 0f a stove embodying iny invention.. A i

In the heating-iron form. of heinvention .shown Ain Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4: asa flat-iron, v85v the ironing base 1 iis constructed separable from.the .shell 2' and in such manner that -the heatinguiit 3 visvreadily removed 'and replaced byv a nevvheating unit, 'if desired; For such purpose, as shown infgreater de-'Qo 'tail in ig. 3, theheating unit terminals 4, 5, maybe of the clip typeadaptedto .be respectivelyV connected to .the lead 'terminals 6, 7, which may be of the knife- Zedge type. If desired, the terminals proper 4, 5, may be of the knife-edge type and conversely the line terminals 6, 7,' of the clip type. 'The lead lWires 8 are mounted 'in the bushing- 9 Aand connected' tothe lead-- terminals 6, 7,' and properly protected. as 100 will be understood'hy theart.

The ironing'base 1 is mechanically connectedto the shell 2 by suitable means for attaining proper electrical insulation of the heating unit 3,fi'oin the shell or other parts 105 capable of beingtouehed by'the user and form ofi'4 ik' i also heat losses due to possible non-sealed mechanical connections eliminated. As shown in Fig. 1, I arrange the sub base 10 to be insulatedly suspended within the casing 2 to provide the heat insulating air space 11, preferably completely surrounding the heating unit 3 within the casing 2. Such suspension may be attained by means of a pair of screw threaded bushings 12, 13, tapped at one end into the sub-base 10 and adjustably suspended from the casing 2 by means of the positioning nuts 14. The respective exterior ends 15, 16, of said bushings 12, 13, may also be screw threaded to afford suitable locking of the said bushings' 12, 13,-and therewith of the casing 2With the handle 17 of the iron, as by means of the locking levers 18, 19, respectively.

As one form of suitable means for positioning the ironing base 1 on the casing 2, I have shown the lugs 20, 21, respectively tapped at their lower ends in the ironing base 1 and projecting through-therespective bushings 12, 13' and having the heads 22, 23, projecting a suitable distance beyond said bushings 12, 13, respectively. As one form of attaining ready attachment of the handle 17 to and removal from the casing 2, I have shown the lrey slots 24, 25, disposed in said handle 17 and said lugs 2G, 21, peripherally slotted whereby upon passing said heads 22, 23, respectively through the enlarged portions of said key slots 24, 25, and upon longitudinal movement of said handle 17, said slotted portions of said heads 22, 23, will be closely seated within the narrow portion of said slots 24, 25, and the seal completed by turning the respective clam ing levers 18, 19 toward said handle 17, as indicated by the dotted and full lines in Fig. 2.

Thus, in the event that a heating unit becomes impaired, the same may be removed from the remaining elements of the flat-iron by unlocking the levers 13, 19, slipping the l handle 17 out of engagement with the lugs 20,21, then grasping the ironing base 1 and withdrawing the same and therewith said lugs 20, 21, whereupon the heating unit 3 may be grasped and disconnected by merely pulling the heating unit to disconnect its terminals 4, 5, from the line terminals 6, 7.

It will be noted that in the -i'ormof the invention shown in the drawings, the termil nals serve to retain the heating unit mef ehanically in position as well as 4to effect the electrical connections of the heating wire 30 of the heating unit 3 with the line. I have indicated layers 31 of sheet mica surrounding the heating wire 30 and the grooved base 32 supporting the heating wire 30, as the electrical insulating medium,.al though other forms or material of electrical insulation may be employed.

It will be noted that said insulating layers relapse 31 are provided with the openings 33- and the base 32 with the corresponding opening 3lfor insulatingly receiving the lugs 20, 21.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown another form of my invention-as applied to toasters or toasting racks. As indicated, the frame 40 of the rack is of any approved 'construction and provided with the lead terminals 41. The heating unit 42 in thisinstance is shown as of the frame type and comprising the insulatedly supported heating unit 43. The heating unit terminals 44, 45, are adapted to be connected and disconnected relatively to the respective lead terminals 46, 47. To etl'ect such function, I have shown the terminals 44, 45, of the knife-edge type and the terminals 46, 47`of the clip type,

.which arrangement may be modified by revcrsing the said types, or by the use of other forms of correlativevelectrical contacts separable by mere movement relative to one another.

In Fig. 7 I have shown another 'form of heating unit comprising the frame 51 insulatingly supporting the multiple heating unit 52, provided with the multiple terminals 53, 54, 55, etc., adapted to coact with a set osuitable correlative terminals for obtaining multiplc heats as desired, by means of a single heating unit. In the embodiment illustrated, the heating unit terminals 53, 54,

55 are shown as of the knife-edge type and v accordingly the correlative lead terminals may be of the clip type. rIvhe line terminals are connected to the proper lead terminals for attaining the desired heats, as will be understood. l

In Figs. 8 and 9, I have shown the invention in a form as applied to a stove. The frame() is of any approved form and provided with a shelf or with suitable lugs 61v for` supporting the frame 62 of the heating unit comprising the heating wiring 63. In this instance, the heating wiring 63 is shown as having two terminals 64, 65, of the lrnifeedge type adapted to res ectively coact with the lead terminals G6, 6 respectively connected to the line terminals 68, -69. A greater number ot' terminals may be employed, if desired, for attaining multiple heats 4similar to the construction indicated in Fig. 7, and the particular types of correl i ative terminals or contacts may be reversed, or other suitable form of correlative contacts employed to effect connection and dis connection preferably -by mere relative movement. V

From the above it will be apparent that my invention enables the user even though not -conversant with the principles of electricity 4,or experienced with the construction of electrical apparatus to remove the electrical unit in thel event of breakage or out of repairand to forward solely the heating un'it to the manufacturer or dealer or to oba new heating unit and replace the hand and replace an impaired unit Without delay.

It vvill also be observed that the manufacture of the heating unit and the assembly of new electrical apparatus are greatly simplied and that a particular type or set of types of heating units may be manufactured interchangeably for different types of electrical apparatus.

Whereas I have illustrated my invention by referring to specific forms thereof, it Will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made Without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

As an article of manufacture, an electrical apparatus comprising a base, electrical terminals insulatedly supported by said base, I

said base being provided with a recess, an electrical heating unit comprising a fiat body of insulating material, heating Wire Wholly supported by said insulating material, means for supporting said heating unit Within said recess, said supporting means being constructed to permit the removal of said heating unit bodily in a plurality of directions relative to said recess, contacts Wholly carried by said insulating material and contacts carried by said base and constructed to make effectual electrical Contact With said first named contacts respectively upon relative movement of said base and said insulating material in any one of saidplurality of directions.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specication this 26th day of May 1917.

HAROLD ALBERTv Rien.

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